This invention relates to a waterproof press-connecting connector in which a rear end portion of a housing, receiving press-connecting terminals each having press-connecting blades between which an end portion of a wire is press fitted, is waterproofed by a rubber plug.
FIG. 1 shows a waterproof press-connecting connector 1 disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 5-152028. This waterproof press-connecting connector 1 comprises a housing 4 having terminal receiving chambers 3 for respectively receiving press-connecting terminals 2, a tubular cover 5 receiving the housing 4 therein to cover the same, and a rubber plug 6 closing one open end of the cover 5.
The press-connecting terminal 2 includes press-connecting blades, and an end portion 7a of a sheathed wire 7 is press fitted between these press-connecting blades to be connected to the terminal 2. The rubber plug 6 has a plurality of wire insertion holes 8, and the end portions 7a of the sheathed wires 7, passed respectively through the wire insertion holes 8, are press fitted to the press-connecting terminals 2, respectively.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 9 denotes a seal ring inserted into the other open end of the cover 5, reference numeral 10 a mating connector, and reference numeral 11 a packing.
For connecting the waterproof press-connecting connector 1 to the end portions 7a of the sheathed wires 7, the end portions 7a of the sheathed wires 7, passed respectively through the insertion holes 8 in the rubber plug 6, are located respectively above press-connecting portions 12 of the press-connecting terminals 2 received respectively in the terminal receiving chambers 3 in the housing 4, and then are pressed by a press-connecting jig 13 from the upper side, as shown in FIG. 2(a). As a result of the pressing operation by the press-connecting jig 13, the end portions 7a of the sheathed wires 7 are press-connected respectively to the press-connecting terminals 2 to be electrically connected thereto. In this condition, the housing 4 is inserted into the cover 5, and the rubber plug 6 is fitted in the one open end of the cover 5 in such a manner that the rubber plug 6 is held in intimate contact with the inner peripheral surface of the one open end. As a result, the press-connecting terminals 2 and the end portions 7a of the sheathed wires 7 are received in a waterproofed manner within the cover 5.
However, generally, the sheath of the sheathed wire 7 contains an oily component, and therefore has a low friction coefficient, and the rubber plug 6 is liable to move in the direction of the axes of the sheathed wires 7 as shown in FIG. 2(a). As a result, the rubber plug 6 is moved to be disposed above the press-connecting terminals 2, and in this condition, when the sheathed wire 7 is pressed toward the press-connecting terminal 2 by the press-connecting jig 13, the rubber plug 6 is held between the press-connecting terminal 2 and the press-connecting jig 13, which results in a problem that the sheathed wire 7 can not be properly connected to the press-connecting terminal 2.